Home for the Holidays
by SkippyPanda
Summary: Oh, there's no place like home for the holidays. After 2 years at college, Akane is coming home for the winter break. But little does she know she's not the only one coming home. AN: I swear I'm not dead. Coming Soon- Chapter 8: Folks are Travelin' Down
1. Oh, There's No Place like Home

**Home for the Holidays **

**Chapter**: 1

**Title**: Oh, There's No Place like Home

**Disclaimer**: There is absolutely zero chance that I could ever own Ranma ½ or any of the characters seeing as Rumiko Takahashi already owns them. Don't sue. I have no money.

* * *

The roar of the airplanes taking off was becoming irritating. Nabiki Tendo tapped her Rolex. The flight was obviously running late. She glanced over at her eldest sister, sitting calmly in the airport waiting area next to a screaming toddler and harried mother and diaper bag. The girls had decided to leave their father and Mr. Saotome at home in order to avoid unnecessary problems, specifically unnecessary water works from their father who would undoubtedly be overwhelmed with emotion since his youngest daughter was returning at last to Nerima.

Akane had been away at college for two years already. The Christmas before, she had been unable to come home because of financial difficulties. This thought alone put Nabiki in a sour mood. She never thought she'd see the day when she'd be unable to fly her little sister home for the holidays. However, college was expensive, not only for Akane but for Nabiki herself. Her regular profits were simply not enough to pay for all of their current expenses. Fortunately, Akane had stepped in by getting a part time job at a café on campus, making it possible for her to come back to Nerima after her fall semester had ended.

Little did Akane know there would be a little surprise for Christmas this year.

Two weeks ago Ranma had sent them a post card from China with a worn picture of some mist-covered mountains and lush vegetation on the front of it. Two years of off and on correspondence from the pigtailed boy, and at last he was coming home. He was due any day now…

It hadn't been too long ago when Akane received her acceptance letter, and Ranma had shortly after declared his intention to take a very extended training trip to China. Their fathers of course had objected, but any attempts to quickly and hastily unite the families had been squashed by Akane and Ranma. Naturally it required a little help from Kasumi and Nabiki. Kasumi had tactfully reasoned that a business degree was necessary for Akane to take over the dojo. Nabiki wouldn't always be around to manage the dojo's finances, and Akane couldn't finish her education if she was pregnant.

"Flight number 1470 has arrived at gate A31."

Finally.

Nabiki stood with Kasumi as the announcement finished. The snow flurries danced outside the window. Yes indeed… home for the holidays.

* * *

It was good to be home. The hugs and water works from her dad had been clear proof that not many things had changed since she'd been gone. Hoisting her bags upstairs and into her room, Akane surveyed its state. Her bedroom looked practically untouched, and her eyes rested upon the duck nameplate on her door. Actually, as far as Akane could remember it was _exactly_ as she left it.

Nothing had changed. But she had.

She had grown an inch or so, and her figure had definitely filled out a bit since her high school years. While she was away, Akane had buckled down on her training and actually studied various forms of the art from Tae Kwon Do to kickboxing. She had to say it'd paid off. Her control was better now, as was her speed and even (surprisingly) her strength. She had increased her balance and flexibility through a few Yoga classes she had taken with her friends. Akane had not been thrilled about the idea, but later learned it was an excellent way to better her martial arts skills.

Sitting down on her bed, she realized how tired she was from her trip. Jet lag probably. She glanced at the clock. There was at least another hour or so till she would once again taste the wonders of Kasumi's cooking. "I'll just take a short nap until dinner," she decided, slipping underneath the cool cotton sheets of her bed. Man, she had definitely missed this.

Akane did not take a short nap. In fact, when she woke up, not only did she discover it was one o'clock in the morning, and she had missed dinner, but she also discovered she was _starving_. She padded quietly downstairs to the kitchen. Living away at college with no Kasumi, she had promptly found one could only live off of fast food for so long. Thus after much careful instruction, Akane had learned how to make . . . a sandwich. However, after eating these for three weeks for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, she'd found you could also get tired of eating sandwiches. But seeing as she hadn't eaten in the last twenty hours (unless you count airplane food), a ham and cheese sandwich sounded mouthwatering.

* * *

Never had the Tendo dojo looked so good to Ranma Saotome. After eight hours in six-degree weather, he was ready to take a hot shower and hit the sack. Silently he entered the house and gently set his pack down in the hall.

Everything seemed the same. The feel of the wood floors beneath his feet. The faded scent of dinner still lingering near the kitchen table. The soft light drifting in from outside through the sliding porch door. He had missed the familiarity of it all during the past two years of being on the road.

Being careful not to wake anyone, he slipped down the hall and into the shower.

* * *

Pulling a slice of cheddar out of the fridge, she suddenly froze.

Running water. Someone was . . . taking a shower?

She took a step towards the arching doorway of the kitchen and strained her senses to listen. That was definitely running water. And it was definitely coming from the bathroom down the hall. Hesistating at the steps, her mind surveyed the possibilities. She was positive everyone else was asleep. She'd taken extra care not to wake anyone up as she'd snuck down stairs for a snack. And why would one of them be showering in the middle of the night? Then again... why would a burglar be showering in the middle of the night?

Well she wasn't going to take any chances. She grabbed her bat from her room and snuck over to the bathroom in stealth mode.

The water turned off.

Wet footsteps made their way to the otherside of the door. Her fingers tensed around the bat. The door swung open and . . .

There was Ranma Saotome in nothing but a towel.

* * *

He toweled off his hair as he stepped out of the shower. Damn it. He'd forgotten his change of clothes in his pack. Sighing, he opened the door to the hall . . .

And there was Akane Tendo in an oversized t-shirt and the tiniest pair of cotton shorts he had ever seen, poised and ready to beat the living hell out of him with a metal baseball bat.

It was then that he realized he was clad only in a towel. Somehow, he should have expected this.

"Uh . . . hey . . . 'kane."

Oh God. It was the first time she'd seen him in two years and she'd managed to catch him half naked. She was completely prepared to pound him into unconsciousness.

". . I . . . hi." She gave him an embarrassed smile. Her cheeks reddened noticeably. That training trip to China had certainly done the body good. "Did you just get in…?" she asked in what she hoped was an innocent and nonchalant sounding voice. Unfortunately it seemed to come out sounding pretty ridiculous. Of course he had just gotten in! He obviously hadnt been here before she got home. She mentally berated herself for that one and tried to fight the impulse to run away screaming.

"Uh. Yeah." He replied cautiously, still eyeing the bat in her hands. "Can I get my clothes real quick?"

Her blush deepened. "Oh. uh.. of course." How could she have forgotten he was only in a towel? She returned the bat to its resting place in her room. What was she going to say to him? Somehow she always got herself into the most awkward situations when it came to Ranma. She debated. If she went to bed now, she wouldn't have to deal with Ranma until breakfast… Nabiki would have hell to pay. Her stomach swiftly reminded her of the sandwich waiting downstairs. She took a deep breath. This couldn't get too much worse. Exhale. Here goes nothing.

Ranma, now dressed, stepped out of the bathroom, pausing a moment to look for armed Akanes. Briefly he allowed an amused expression to steal over his face. This certainly was interesting. Then again he didn't ever recall his life being boring.

There was a faint light coming from the kitchen. Slipping past the table and stove, he came up behind Akane, bent over in front of the fridge. The fridge light played across her figure. He had to admit it was not an unpleasant sight by any means. He heard her curse silently, "Where is the stupid ham?"

"Makin' a midnight snack, Tomboy?" She froze.

He could see her stiffen and slowly relax as she rose and turned around to face him. He hadn't gotten a good look at her back by the bathroom, but now he could see the difference these two years had made.

"And what if I am?"

Wow. That was a pretty quick recovery from the bathroom scene. And she certainly hadn't lost any of her sass.

"Well, it would be a problem if the kitchen burned down…"

A scowl wrinkled her petite features. "I can make a sandwich." The defiance in her voice was bordering annoyed already. "Besides . . . there's no fire involved in making a sandwich." She smiled in spite of herself.

Wow, again. Akane was joking about her cooking?

He changed his tone. "Need company?" He was tired, but sleep could wait.

She turned to him with questioning eyes. Two years and everything felt the same, except for the softness in that last question. She decided to set her conditions. "If you stay, you have to eat a sandwich." Saying it that way made it his choice... and part of her _was _curious if he would stay or not.

"Better not poison me on purpose," he jokingly warned as he slid onto the kitchen counter.

He watched closely as she made two ham and cheese sandwiches. She made them slowly, surprisingly not because it was difficult for her, but because she seemed deep in thought.

He decided to speak first. It was actually harder than he had initially thought. "So . . ." he started. He couldn't finish it.

What to say to your fiancée that you haven't seen for two years.

She glanced up at him as she completed the preparation of the sandwiches, fingers lingering just atop a slice of bread. He was giving her a helplessly blank look. She gave him a small smile. "My roommate at college taught me how to make sandwiches," she stated smoothly, trying to secretly convince him that it was nontoxic. Ranma had never been a great conversationalist. Handing him his sandwich, she added coolly, "If I really wanted to kill you, I'd do it some other way."

He gave her an unnerved look, and she gave a short laugh at his expression. He was surprised she could joke with him so easily. This Akane seemed much more carefree than the one he remembered. "What have you been up to?" she asked this as a genuine question. He took a bite of his sandwich, pretending he wasn't amazed that it was edible and even . . . good.

"Training. Did a bit of traveling around." This wasn't news to her.

"I hope you didn't get into too much trouble," she slipped in as she swung herself up on the countertop next to him.

He continued his story, ignoring the slight smirk on her face. "Wasn't much of a problem without pops along."

China. She wondered if he had searched for a cure, and more importantly whether or not he had found it. She knew his curse had always bugged him. Still . . . he didn't seem like a different Ranma. He was still laid back as he told her a few short stories about his trip. The odd places he had been, weird people he had met, and the bizarre instances that had ensued. She watched him, not really listening to his story. His features seemed harder than she remembered, but his dress was not unusual. Black pants and a Chinese style top. His steel blue eyes were tired but still his as he reminisced the two years he had been gone.

"Akane . . .? " She was soon aware that Ranma's eyes were now watching her. ". . .you ok?"

She beat back a nervous laugh. Woops. Zoned out a little bit. "Yeah . . ." she gave him a cheerful smile. "Do you realize this is probably the longest we've gone without fighting?"

He stopped. "Yeah. . . you'd think we'd have a lot of fighting to catch up on after two years."

She leaned back using her forearms to prop herself up and glanced around the kitchen. "I missed it here." _I missed you._

"Yeah. I missed the food." He grinned. She saw that he had finished his sandwich. The sandwich she had made. Her eyes found the clock on the microwave. 2 AM. They'd been down here for an hour already. She slid off the counter.

"We should probably be getting to bed."

He stretched and yawned. "Two o'clock already. Geez, 'kane. I walk eight hours in the snow, and you keep me up till all hours of the night," he teased as he hopped off the counter.

She smacked him lightly in the back of the head. "Baka."

They both tiptoed upstairs. It seemed strange to be here again. But even stranger to be together.

"Goodnight, Ranma," she said as she inched open her bedroom door.

"G'night, 'kane."

She failed to notice the last lingering glance he gave her before passing through the doorway to his old room.

* * *

AN: Well. I wrote this late at night many years ago and figured it was worth a shot. Apparently some of you are still waiting for me to finish it (that's incredible... it's been 3 years since the last chapter) so I'm going to try and finish it after all these years. Comments and criticisms are welcome.

-SP


	2. Sunshine and Friendly Faces

**Home for the Holidays**

**Chapter**: 2

**Title**: Sunshine and Friendly Faces

**Disclaimer**: There is absolutely zero chance that I could ever own Ranma ½ or any of the characters seeing as Rumiko Takahashi already owns them. Don't sue. I have no money.

* * *

Having a million thoughts running through her head was not conducive to sleep. In fact, it was actually one of those things that made her want to pull her hair out and scream every profanity that she'd ever heard since she was three years old. Especially since it was three o'clock in the morning and her fiancé that she hadn't seen in two years was sleeping in the room next to her. "I think . . . I'm in shock." What other excuse was there for Akane Tendo as she lay awake in bed.

Here he was. Back again.

And here was she. Fretting over the possibilities of what would happen next. Would their fathers return to their avid attempts to marry them? Would a random fiancée or enemy of Ranma's return to wreak havoc? She knew what had happened after she'd left. Or rather, after Ranma had left.

Kasumi had kept her informed of the well being of not only her family but the fiancées as well. The first letter was probably the most startling. Apparently even though Shampoo would have waited forever to take Ranma home as her husband, the Amazon elders would not. Three months after Ranma had left for his trip, a letter had been sent recalling her back to the Amazon village, with or without Ranma. She wouldn't go home without a fight, of course, but luckily Mouse managed to temporarily poison her in a hopeless attempt to make an ancient Amazon love potion. Akane had been sure Shampoo would be up and at it again once she had retrieved the antidote. . .

Ukyo had stuck around a while longer, but after the first year passed with no letters from Ranma, her reasons for staying dwelled only in her restaurant. Akane had not understood why Ranma hadn't kept in contact with anyone including herself. Later, she learned from Kasumi that he had. He had written postcard after postcard to Kasumi but had asked her to keep everything a secret from the others, including herself. It had infuriated her to no end during the first few months of college. She had been so jealous, so angry that he would talk to Kasumi and not her. Sure, she understood Ranma wanting to keep his whereabouts a secret from the others… but why couldn't it be _her _secret? Kasumi was always trying to tell her that change was a good thing. In fact, she was always trying to tell herself that. But the truth was… she was heartbroken. She was homesick and friendless and missing a part of her life so much she almost couldn't breathe.

And Ranma didn't even want to speak to her.

She felt the sting of tears even now as she laid awake. She had promised herself when her mother had died. Never again. Never again would she hurt as she had that day and so many days after. No one would get close enough. No one would be able to . . . but somehow, he had. Even after all the fights, name-calling, malleting, Jusenkyo, and the failed wedding, she had still cared. She had let him get close enough to hurt her, and inevitably, he had.

And now he was back. No matter how many times she resolved to, she just couldn't hate him. No matter how bad he hurt her or how long he was gone, the moment he returned she was just a sixteen-year-old girl again. Why did she fall apart when he was around? Torn between hating him and loving him, beating him and hugging him. She just couldn't make sense of it. She had always prided herself on being independent and capable of taking care of herself, but ever since Ranma and his father had stepped out of the rain that fateful day, her world had been turned upside down. And then he had stepped back out again. Just as simply as he had come, he was gone. And he never looked back.

And now the whole dreadful cycle would be starting all over again. She let out an exasperated sigh, turning over to check the time on her alarm clock. Akane closed her eyes once more. Maybe if she actually got some sleep all of this useless anxiety would go away.

Some things never change.

* * *

The delightful smell of Kasumi's cooking drifted through the glistening sunshine that poured into the room. Ranma Saotome was instantly awake at the slightest scent of good food (which he had been deprived of for quite a while.) He laid there, cotton sheets chaotic and strewn across his futon, the sound of the Tendo family waking up all around him.

He was home. It was a strange notion, but it was not the first time he had thought it. Home was here with these people he had met some four years ago. They had given him a place to stay, a place that he could return to every night, and most of all, a place where he could feel welcome . . like he actually belonged somewhere. And yet he had left them again for the same life that he had known before: traveling and training and forever being on the road. Although . . . it had been different this time. He actually had a reason for leaving.

He heard Kasumi's sweet voice calling that breakfast was ready.

Sitting up, he threw on a shirt and a pair of pants. On his way to the bathroom, he noticed Akane was still asleep. Well, tomboys need to eat, too. Figuring she wouldn't want to miss Kasumi's cooking the first day back, he chose a course of action that would probably lead to his sudden and abrupt demise: he was going to wake Akane up for breakfast. And this included entering her room without permission.

Silently sliding open the door, he poked his head inside. Best be cautious . . . "Akane?" No reply. Stepping inside forbidden territory, he questioned whether or not he **really** needed to do this. "Akane . . . Kasumi's got breakfast ready." Gah. Since when did Akane Tendo sleep like the dead?

And yet he was sure she was sleeping. He could tell by the slight rise and fall of her chest underneath the folds of her shirt and the peaceful expression that was lit on her face by the early morning sun. Her hair was cutely disheveled, and her covers had somehow managed to form a tangled mess on the floor next to her bed. He snorted softly. She was still violent in her sleep.

He was next to her bed now. "Hellooo . . .? You awake?" He poked her right arm- and barely avoided the punch from her left. She was awake instantly, sitting up, eyes wide and filled with confusion for half a second. "Geez, 'kane. It's just me." He saw the dawning of recognition cross her face.

She was much faster than he remembered. Had he imagined that speed? That accuracy? He heard her smother a good-natured laugh at his stunned expression. So_ maybe _he looked a little caught off guard. He would have been less surprised if he were currently flying over the rooftops of Nerima. Where had her trusty mallet vanished to? And more importantly . . . were those tiny shorts really what she wore to sleep every night? He fixed his eyes on her face.

"uh . . . " He was drawing a blank. ".breakfast." He wanted to roll his eyes. Great, Saotome. So smooth. He remained standing, mentally cursing his complete inability to even form words properly.

"Um . . . Ranma."

He focused his attention back on her. "yeah . . . ?"

"Can you leave so I can change?" She smirked playfully. He found himself caught on the opposite end of a situation similar to last night's.

"Oh- Uh. Yeah." He made a prompt exit, remembering to close the door behind him.

"Well, Ranma. I wonder what on earth you could be doing in my darling sister's bedroom so early in the morning." Shit. Turning, he found exactly what he expected: Nabiki Tendo wearing a smug grin.

"Nice to see you again, too." He knew this was going to cost him. "How much?"

"Now, now, brother dearest. " Her choice of words were amazingly simple, and yet, _so_ _effective_. She enjoyed making Ranma squirm. "No need to bribe me with your generous offers."

This was new. Nabiki Tendo not excepting money? Or perhaps it was just another one of her schemes. Yeah. That sounded more like her. "Consider it your welcome home gift," she added as she brushed past him down the stairs. He just knew he would end up paying her sooner or later.

Some things never change.

* * *

Breakfast was interesting but rather normal in its own abnormal way, of course. Genma rejoiced at his son's return by nagging that Ranma was slacking off and how his old man would have to whip him back into shape. Three and a half seconds after Genma issued his challenge, he himself lay "whipped" on the dining room floor.

Akane was subdued during breakfast, perhaps due to her own thoughts (none of which were anything like the ones that had plagued her last night.) She watched the scene in front of her unravel. He'd been home only a few hours and already it seemed like everything had remained as it was two years ago.

"Now that you're both home . . ." she heard her father begin to say. Oh dear God. Wasn't it early for them to start this again? She didn't even wait for them to cheer about how the schools would finally be joined. She stood abruptly upon finishing her meal, fully intent on sneaking back upstairs to change into some workout clothes. The dojo sounded like an excellent alternative.

"Oh, Akane." She stopped at the sound of Kasumi's voice. "Could you and Ranma pick up some things from the market? I need to finish cleaning up." She suppressed the temptation to heave an exasperated sigh. How could she (or anyone for that matter) refuse a request from Kasumi? She glanced over in Ranma's general direction.

With him?

Her first instinct was to wrinkle her nose. "No, Akane, " she reprimanded herself mentally. "You are not 16 anymore. Ranma is just another boy." After all, she had learned to get along with boys in college. Sure, it was true that the majority were perverts and jerks, but she couldn't afford to be choosey about gender when it came to finding good friends. "Just a high school friend," she rationalized with herself.

In spite of everything, they _were_ actually friends. She considered it for a moment. Even with all the arguments, the least she could give him credit for was saving her life (multiple times). And wouldn't you be friends with someone who saved your life? Yes, this sounded reasonable enough.

She smiled cheerfully at Kasumi. "Of course!"

They were just friends.

* * *

The Nerima marketplace was starting to fizzle out as the afternoon sun lowered in the sky. The bustle and noise had calmed . . . almost.

"Gah, 'kane! How come I gotta carry all this stuff?" Ranma was juggling about twelve bags full of various items on Kasumi's list.

"Don't be such a baby!" She furrowed her brow but couldn't feign annoyance for very long. A smile slipped onto her lips. "I don't recall the great Ranma Saotome ever having a problem with a few shopping bags." From the corner of her eye she caught a glimpse of him rolling his eyes.

"A few?" he asked incredulously. "You call this a few, Tomboy!" She swatted him in the arm. It's funny how his name-calling really didn't bug her anymore. The way he said it had changed. It wasn't harsh or condescending anymore. Then again . . .maybe he had always said it that way, and she'd just never noticed.

"It's really your own fault anyway." She had carried some of the bags at first. Actually, she had insisted that she carry them all on her own. The only problem with this particular idea was that the bags piled up so high that she couldn't see where she was walking… Needless to say, she had stepped in dog poop.

This was the point at which she had shoved (gently of course) all the shopping bags into Ranma's face. He had laughed so hard till he was as red as the pound of cherry tomatoes Kasumi had requested, gasping for oxygen by the bakery. Akane had been furiously embarrassed, but the contagious laughter had soon caught her as well. Ever since Ranma had come home, all these horrible, crazy things had started happening again. They made a dramatic exit out of the butcher shop at the sight of the shop owner's kitten; Ranma sat on some of the blueberries at the fruit stand… and yet, she wouldn't trade it for anything in the world: Ranma being here.

With her.

They trudged through the feathery snow with little conversation between them. As they rounded the corner, Akane halted her steps. So abruptly, in fact, that Ranma almost ran into her.

"'kane . . .?" She looked so dazed. "Akane . . ." He tried to follow her gaze.

The lights. He remembered lights like these only one other time.

Before she had left.

Twinkling white lights and sparkling bouquets of color shining in the fading light of the afternoon sun.

Ironically, they had been on an errand for Kasumi, much like the one they were running today. It wasn't winter at the time so the lights had not been in celebration of the holidays. Instead, they had been decoration for a little boy's birthday party. His mom had set out the obviously store-bought, batman cake with all seven candles and a batman figurine on top. His father had been so proud, camera in one hand, and his wife's hand in the other. His antsy friends were hastily deciding which piece they would claim while the newly seven-year-old hesitated with his lips pursed, contemplating what to wish for.

He had been so jealous of that boy. Never in his life had he gotten a batman cake (not that he wanted one now). Never had he been surrounded by friends (antsy or not), all waiting to celebrate his birthday. Never in his life had he been part of a picture perfect family like that one.

He felt a tug at his heart. But did he want to be? He couldn't imagine his life ever being that perfect. What was this? Ranma Saotome longing for normalness? Absurd. But still his heart remained wistful at the thought of having a piece of that picture. It was wishful thinking indeed. He heard his name being called. "Ranma . . . Ranma Saotome!" An impatient Akane waved her hand in front of his face.

"What is it, Akane?" he asked indignantly, having his day dream interrupted.

"Nothing . . . " she quieted, looking like a scolded child. "You just . . looked . . like . . ." Her eyes innocently searched his face for the words. He gave her a dumb look, waiting expectantly. A giggle escaped her lips as a smile slid into place. "You're such an idiot." She turned briskly to continue down the sidewalk. A calloused hand grabbed her wrist to stop her and the sensation of ice-cold snow met the skin on her back.

"AIEEEE! Coldcoldcoldcold!" Akane could not help hopping around like a frenzied chicken.

Fortunately, the ice quickly melted into the warmth of her sweater. She glowered. "." she gritted out. She could see him smirking.

"Geez, 'kane. I didn't know you could squeal like –" his words were quickly cut off by the handful of snow that filled his mouth. He sputtered and spat out the un-melted remainder. She was gonna pay for that one. "That wasn't a very smart move, Tomboy," he warned as he bent down to scoop up some snow.

She stuck out her tongue. "We'll see about that!" she retorted and spun away down the snowy sidewalk.

For a moment, they both seemed to forget that they were twenty-years-old. Chasing each other around the neighborhood and frozen streets, they were like kids again.

Man. Akane had definitely gotten quicker. She was almost as fast as him. Almost. "Ha! Where ya gonna go now?" A triumphant smirk was plastered on his face. He had her cornered between the neighbor's fence and the woods next to their property. He took a step closer. She was gonna get it.

He noticed the way she managed to keep a calm expression on her face even though inside he knew she was going insane trying to find a way out. Impressive. He'd never seen her keep her cool so well (except for maybe that morning.) By now, he was right up in her face, snowball in hand. He grinned. It was all over now.

Suddenly, he felt the warmth of her palm against his cheek. Soft skin against his, and for short moment, steel blue could not resist the intoxicating caramel of her eyes. He felt himself close the waning gap between them.

"Ranma . . ."

A rush of cold met his scalp as a pile of snow was dumped on his head. As expected, Akane soon stealthily slipped out from under his grasp with the help of her newfound distraction, and skipped off, well pleased with her small victory. "You really shouldn't let your guard down, Ranma!" he heard her call over her shoulder as she disappeared into the trees. Not even bothering to brush the snow out of his hair, he turned in the direction of the woods.

Oh, it was ON now.

* * *

Well. This chapter was a little longer than I expected it to be originally. I'm gonna try to promise at least 2,000 words per chapter (just to set a minimum for myself). I'm not especially long winded, but I know short chapters are annoying. This one is around 2800 (counting only the actually story part.) I know the first chapter could stand alone (like some of you commented) but I really wanted to try a multi-chapter story. Please don't be impatient if it takes me a bit longer to get the chapters out. Luckily I'm on break right now so it's not too hard to find time. I know this story may not seem very original seeing as many people have tried their hand at the Ranma/Akane when they're older or after not seeing each other for a long time, but I think what makes a story is how it is written. A good plot can be ruined by poor writing skills and a story that really doesn't have a great plot can become a wonderful piece if it is well written. My goal is to become a good writer, not specifically to come up with awesome story lines. Suggestions are always welcome, however, seeing as good plots are easier to work with. I'm sorry this author note is so long! I'll try not to blabber in further chapters.

-SP


	3. Homemade Pumpkin Pie

**Home for the Holidays**

**Chapter**: 3

**Title**: Homemade Pumpkin Pie

**Disclaimer**: There is absolutely zero chance that I could ever own Ranma ½ or any of the characters seeing as Rumiko Takahashi already owns them. Don't sue. I have no money.

* * *

Akane's stomach had developed a rather unpleasant feeling. During her escape, she had not paused to figure out how she would get out of the woods. Too bad that it had just now dawned on her, and that by now she had no earthly idea where she was or what direction she had come from. Not to mention the fact that it was pitch black. The canopy of trees blocked out most of the light (and heat for that matter) and it was now that the meaning of "winter solstice" became clear to her.

Where was Ranma anyway? She had heard him rush into the crowd of trees after her, and had hastily picked up her pace so as to not be caught. Her pride had definitely come back to bite her in the butt. What had she been thinking? Running into foreign woods just when it was getting dark?

The truth was, of course, that she had not been thinking. For the first time in many months, she had not been practical or reasonable or even stopped to consider the facts. She was no Nabiki, but Akane couldn't ever remember being so utterly careless and irrational. She groaned. How could she have ever thought this was a good idea!

Her best chance was to look for Ranma and hope that he had not gotten as completely lost as herself. She heard leaves shuffle behind her. "Ranma...?" Who else would be wandering around this place? It had to be him. She reached out to feel around. Why didn't he answer her? What a dumb-butt. He was probably just trying to scare her to get payback for earlier...

Her hand found the warmth of his body. "Ah ha!" She didn't even bother to conceal the victorious smirk that had clad her features. He was in for it.

But when had Ranma gotten so hairy?

* * *

Stupid, uncute Tomboy. She was most likely lost by now, and thanks to her, he was as well. Not much snow had fallen through the tops of the trees, but the air in the woods was definitely chilly to say the least. His feet padded softly through the layers of leaves that made up the tawny floor of the woods. If he found her, he was gonna scare the shit out of her. It was only fair after what she had done earlier.

A scream shot through the cool air of the woods.

Akane.

Before he knew it, he was sprinting full speed through crumbling earth and dried leaves.

* * *

It was a wild boar. And it was not happy.

Akane, upon the utter shock of it not being Ranma, had delivered a swift roundhouse kick to its midsection. The kick was not meant to be devastating, but even so her attack had less affect than she had initially predicted. This pig was no pansy pig.

Since it was apparently angry with her for kicking it, she decided her best course of action was to . . . well . . . RUN.

Unfortunately, there was no way she was gonna wear it down just by running around. She needed a different plan of escape. If only she could see. The faint outline of trees was barely visible as she whipped past. It would only be a matter of time before she was distracted long enough to collide into one.

* * *

He felt the two figures approaching rapidly. One he knew for sure was Akane. But the other he was unsure of . . . an oversized, irate Ryoga? Impossible. He wouldn't try to beat Akane up anyway. Whatever it was, they weren't going to solve this by outrunning it. The only solution was to go up.

* * *

She sensed something else nearby. Was it possible that there were two of them? Surely, if there was one pig, there was another somewhere close by. Another obstacle was approaching, or rather, she was approaching it. A 17-foot stonewall. With thickly forested trees on both sides and a rabid pig behind her, she braced herself for the inevitable.

Suddenly, her body was weightless, slipping through the crisp winter air as if in slow motion. No ground. No gravity. Nothing.

THUMP. Okay. There was something. Akane Tendo was in a tree. On a branch. In someone's lap. More specifically, in Ranma's lap.

Her legs had somehow managed to become draped over his knees, and a protective hand was closed around her waist. She felt her cheeks heat up at their closeness.

Just…A friend.

Her ears told her that the pig had not left. The enormous animal was ruffling around in the leaves at the tree's trunk, probably wondering how its prey had escaped.

Ah well. They could just wait it out. An alarm went off in Akane's brain. Wait? That could be a while. Hours, maybe. All night even.

A sigh escaped her lips. She glanced through the darkness at Ranma.

This could prove interesting.

Meanwhile, Ranma had not moved. He was perfectly set in his position. Waiting. Listening.

He could kill it. He knew that. But at the same time, he didn't see a good enough reason to just kill the animal, regardless of whether or not it might be a little angry with Akane. After all, she hadn't been hurt, had she? . . . had she? Realization slapped him in the face. He hadn't even checked! His hands slid to her arms and legs, checking for injuries.

"Ranma." Akane's voice cut the air of silence. "What on earth do you think you're doing?" she hissed crossly.

If they had not been sitting on a branch, and if it had not been pitch black, and if a certain wild boar was not waiting for them to tumble out of their current residence, he would have been a Ranma-flapjack, face down in the dirt. However, these were not the circumstances.

"I was just checking you out!" he burst, trying to conceal his embarrassment. How he wished his words had been different ones.

Her answer was a sharp whisper filled with resent. "You think I can't use my own hands for that?"

Ranma, who had interpreted this with a completely different meaning, was taken aback. "Uhh . . ."

Epiphany hit. Had it not been for the ill lighting, Akane's past life as a cherry tomato would have been exposed. Fortunately, there was a standard response for this. "Pervert! I didn't mean it that way!" Needless to say, an argument ensued.

"How was I supposed to know what you meant?"

"You are such an IDIOT!"

"TOMBOY!"

"JERK!"

"DAMMIT AKANE! I DON'T WANNA FIGHT WITH YOU!"

The insult she had been prepared to bite out instantly evaporated from her mind. Akane Tendo had just been effectively silenced.

"I just don't wanna do this. . ." the stillness of the forest seemed to make the exasperation in his voice echo.

". . . Neither do I."

It was difficult to say that for some reason. To admit that she had always hated when their arguments became more than harmless banter. Because that meant admitting that she was afraid. She was afraid of how things would be . . . if they didn't argue . . . would he even talk to her?

It was such a ridiculous question . . . and even so, she had been afraid of the answer.

There had been times before, even just earlier that day, when they were completely civil, nice, even . . . well. Friends. But there were also times when he didn't talk to her. . . didn't want to speak to her. Pain tinged her heart as she recalled the years she'd spent away at college.

Maybe she wasn't as changed as she'd thought.

* * *

Ranma watched as the forest outline faded and evening fell. The silence between Akane and himself was deafening. Deafening to the point that he wanted to scream.

It felt like he'd been waiting a lifetime to get to this moment, and now he was unsure of what it would lead to.

There were so many things left to tell her. Things he wanted to say. Things he _needed_ to say.

Things that, unfortunately, he was deathly afraid to say.

It was absurd, really. Why would he be scared of talking to Akane? He'd fought demons and monsters and crazy, psycho gymnasts, and yet he could not express the regret he felt for leaving her and the hurt that was left when he did. Surely she could forgive him, if just this once. Inklings of doubt tugged at his brain. And if she didn't?

He felt Akane shiver in his arms. Woah. The temperature had suddenly plunged from cold to freezing. His hands moved to warm her up, but the action was cut short after further consideration. He cleared his throat. "Uh… You cold, Akane?"

She snorted in disbelief. How could she not be? It was negative thirty outside, and they were stuck in a stupid tree. Of course, this particular detail wasn't really Ranma's fault. She was the one, after all, who had skipped blindly off into the very _large _and very _dark _forest. Hahaha. Yeah. Smart move. There was no one to blame but herself. Here she was, living life like a normal person for two whole years, and her first entire day back in Nerima, she ends up trapped in a tree. They were adults, for crying out loud! And martial artists, no less! You'd think they could handle going on one errand for Kasumi. The whole situation was just way too… Ranma.

She couldn't help but smile at how ludicrous the whole situation was. Plain insanity. With no one else in the entire world could she end up lost in a random forest on a frigid winter night. With no one else could she be having a playful snowball fight and then suddenly end up being chased by a wild hog. With no one else could she be so hopelessly in love.

Woah now. Getting a little ahead of yourself, girl. Surely she had meant something else. Someone else. You're just in a stressful situation. That's all it is. Just stress. "... uh... yeah... kinda..." Well. What was the point in lying about it anyway? She would still be cold and stuck with Ranma in a tree if she had told him no.

"Oh."

Silence.

Wasn't he gonna warm her up or something? Why did he even bother asking her if he wasn't gonna do anything about it?

* * *

As soon as he asked the question he knew it could not end well. Either she would say no and yell at him for asking such a dumb question or say yes and leave him unsure of what to do next.

Obviously she lived to confuse him. A negative response would have been much easier to deal with than the downright indifferent one with which she had just replied.

Was he supposed to risk getting pounded to warm her up? Or did her answer really mean she wanted him to do just that? If it did in fact mean she intended him to follow through, did this also mean the subsequent action would not result in physical pain for him?

There were really just way too many questions involved here.

He attempted to swallow the dryness in his mouth. When he had asked, he hadn't actually thought about how he would solve this particular problem.

* * *

By now, Akane had decided for sure that he had chickened out. She really couldn't blame him. For two years of his life, all she did was mallet him when he touched her, even if he was just trying to help.

And then a pair of hands were warm on her shoulders like sunshine on a chilly afternoon, spreading warmth to her arms and hands and to the tips of her fingers. If she could've spoken, she doubted that she could've thought of anything intelligent to say. Even though the rest of her was being warmed up, her brain was frozen.

After a few minutes, he stopped, his hands coming to rest with hers enclosed in them. He would hold her hands just a little bit longer. So they wouldn't get cold again, of course. "Feel warmer . . .?" His voice was soft and uncertain.

She nodded slightly. "Yeah . . . thanks. . ." She was surprised at how small her voice sounded in the quiet of the forest.

A few minutes passed by.

And then a few more did.

And then, yes, a few more.

The tension in the air was getting to be way too much for her. "So . . . did you ever get stuck in a tree while you were in China . . .?" She couldn't see his face, but she could tell he was relieved that she had said something.

"Nope . . . but plenty of other places . . ." His brain was still distracted by the tiny hands enfolded in his. Sitting here now he couldn't imagine how he'd left two years ago. Things were just so much better here at home. Even sitting in this tree, lost in the middle of a forest was better than being in China. It was better being here.

With her.

His stomach growled. He heard Akane stifle a laugh. He sweatdropped. What a time for his stomach to start complaining.

"Sounds like someone's a little bit hungry, eh?" She leaned forward, smirking. He rolled his eyes.

"Ouch!" He felt Akane flinch in his arms.

He tightened his grip around her. "What is it, Akane?" Sheesh. With all her flailing around, she was lucky he didn't drop her.

"I think. . . I think something bit me." He could tell that there was just a hint of panic in her voice.

"Ouch!" More squirming. "I think it's still on me!"

"Stop wiggling around! You're gonna fall flat on your face! Just lemme get it." She stopped squirming. Well. It made more sense than falling ten feet to the ground. He shifted his grip on her waist so that his right arm was free. "So . . . where is it . . .?"

He felt her grab his hand and pull it slightly left of the small of her back. "Somewhere near that spot, but I think it moved some . . ." He evaluated the circumstances. This would involve going under some clothing. Now was the time to rationalize. He was just going to get the bug. She knew that. He knew that. His fingers clumsily inched the back of her sweater up a bit. His fingers brushed against the spot where she'd been bit, and he felt her wince lightly at the pain. He was trying to search quickly for the dang thing, but Akane wasn't giving him very good directions. "Up . . . no, wait, you went too far. He's back to the right." Where the heck was this freaking bug? Ranma wasn't the only one annoyed. Not only was it odd for Akane to have Ranma's hand up her shirt, but the stupid bug was driving her nuts. "Honestly, Ranma! Just let me do it myself!" She moved hurriedly to get it all over with.

Unfortunately, her brisk movement also knocked them off balance.

And, yes, out of the tree.

And, yes, there was some screaming involved.

A beam of yellow light hit them square in the face.

"Hey you! What are you doing around here?"

* * *

AN: Thanks to all the reviewers especially **iCe** and **Dream Crazy** (you two are pretty consistent with reviewing. ) I would also like say how flattered I am that some of you put me on your author alert list (or even favorites!) I am SO pleased that you enjoyed reading this so far.

This chapter is dedicated to my dear sister. I love you.

-SP


	4. Dixie's Sunny Shore

**Home for the Holidays **

**Chapter:** 4

**Title:** Dixie's Sunny Shore

** Disclaimer: **There is absolutely zero chance that I could ever own Ranma ½ or any of the characters seeing as Rumiko Takahashi already owns them. Don't sue.

* * *

In preparation for the inevitable, Ranma had twisted himself under Akane to shield her from the impact.

However, in the process of all this twisting, his hand, which before had been only slightly under her sweater, had become a whole arm under her sweater while his other arm wrapped itself securely around her waist.

Akane had also attempted to brace herself for the fall, her forearms landing on opposite sides of Ranma's head.

At first Ranma was relieved that she had managed to avoid squashing his brains out . . . but upon further examination, he realized the truly . . . **compromising** position they were in.

Especially to the police officer that was shining that flashlight in their faces. "Hey you! What are you doing around here?"

Her first reaction to the light was to squint, but when she noticed the police officer holding the flashlight and just where exactly Ranma's hand was (not to mention their _extremely_ close proximity), her eyes widened and her cheeks colored a lovely shade of pink.

No matter how many times she got into these embarrassing situations . . . they were still embarrassing. Ranma was the first to gain enough composure to say what both of them were thinking. "It's not what it looks like . . ."

"It never is with you two, neh?"

Now just what exactly did the cop mean by that? Ranma looked closer, squinting passed the officer's flashlight.

Surprise number two.

* * *

"Hiroshi."

"And Daisuke."

Akane was relieved and also embarrassed that these two in particular had found them. They should've known this would happen. But then again how could they have anticipated that Ranma's high school friends, Hiroshi and Daisuke, would end up being police officers . . . and partners at that. "What exactly compelled you to be police officers anyway?"

The coffee shop they had stopped at was practically deserted. Then again it was eleven o'clock at night. This was mostly due to the fact that after stammering out excuses and attempting to explain the ridiculous story without looking **too** much like morons, they had all gone in search of the bags that Ranma had set down when the two had started their snowball fight. Akane couldn't believe that the groceries had remained untouched in the snow-covered street.

It turned out that Kasumi had been the one to call Hiroshi and Daisuke. Even though they were off duty, they had answered the call of the eldest Tendo daughter. Who could refuse a request from Kasumi? Akane suspected the call was really not out of concern for **their** whereabouts but the whereabouts of her groceries. Even though Kasumi was without a doubt the most motherly person Akane knew, she was pretty sure Kasumi wouldn't be worried about them. Crazier things had happened in Nerima than Ranma and Akane being a few hours late.

"How could we have done anything less exciting after going to high school with you two?" Hiroshi replied through his smirk. Ranma rolled his eyes.

Akane examined the rim of her coffee cup. It was the standard coffee shop kind. Brown rim. Sandy-colored bottom. Her guess was that they only bought cups that color so that the stains from the coffee would be less visible. She looked closer.

How many people had drank out of this cup? Hundreds? Who had they been? Maybe they had kids. Were they married or single? Perhaps even divorced. She wondered briefly if any of them had lives as crazy as hers. Her finger slipped over the smooth handle.

Who did they share their coffee with? An old friend maybe. A family member. A spouse. She glanced over at Ranma, and thoughtlessly, the question popped into her head.

Who am I sharing my coffee with?

Her eyes focused on the deep brown of the coffee in her cup, willing it to give her some kind of answer.

"Aren't you two hitched yet?" Daisuke went on to say rather bluntly and slyly covered his grin with his coffee mug.

Ranma looked as if his coffee had gone down the wrong pipe so Akane decided to take this one. "Why no. Aren't you two?"

Both cops looked a bit squeamish at the thought, but Daisuke refused to be beaten at his own game and took the liberty of turning the conversation back around. "Well I'm shocked. You two sure looked cozy back there in the woods." Akane kept her cool. There was no way he was gonna get to her with **that** comment. "Besides, Ranma still hasn't answered the question."

Ranma seemed to have recovered just in time to say matter-of-factly, "No. We're _not_ married. We're _not_ dating. We're _just_ friends." Right. Just friends. Akane knew he was just trying to make a point and get Daisuke to shut up . . . but still . . .

Hiroshi looked amused now. "Well in that case, what are you doing Friday night, Akane?" Now this was typical. Akane sighed mentally. She knew Hiroshi was just doing this in some kind of feeble attempt to get under Ranma's skin. It seemed a pretty pointless tact to her. She and Ranma were **just** friends. Not that she was going to accept an invitation from Hiroshi anyway.

She eyed Ranma from the side. Surprisingly he looked rather irked. "Now wait a minute . . ." Ranma began, his grip tightening around his coffee cup. "Akane just got back in town. I'm sure her family will want to spend some time with her first." That sounded reasonable, right? He didn't want it to be too apparent, but the thought of Akane going out with one of his old friends was just . . . unsettling. He wasn't sure what it was, but he was pretty sure he didn't like the sound of it anyway.

Daisuke clearly thought he should interject for his partner, and so he did so with a sly smile. "Spending time with "family" wouldn't happen to include you, would it, Ranma?"

The steam coming out of Ranma's coffee was suddenly exceedingly fascinating to him. Hiroshi took this opportunity to seal the deal. "Besides, Akane's a big girl now. She can make her own decisions."

"You're exactly right, Hiroshi," came Akane's voice. "And I think Ranma's right. I need to spend some time with my family this week." She felt Ranma brighten noticeably next to her in the booth. "We'd better be going," she continued smoothly. "Thanks for coffee, you guys. It was nice to see you again." Akane gave them a cheerful smile as she tugged Ranma's arm and gathered her things.

Daisuke and Hiroshi looked satisfied with her response and waved goodbye merrily. "So how long until they get married? Two weeks?"

"Ahh . . . who knows, man. Who the heck knows with those two."

* * *

As soon as the door to the coffee shop closed shut, Akane backhanded Ranma in the stomach. "What were you thinking?" she hissed indignantly.

He evidently had not expected that one. "What are you talkin' about?" he wheezed, quickly recovering from the blow but not the surprise.

"Why'd you tell them I was going to be spending time with my family!" Not that the idea of spending time with her family was horrid, but she would have much rather liked to say it herself. She didn't need Ranma interjecting for her.

"Hey! I was doin' you a favor!" he scowled at her ungratefulness. "You didn't actually **want** to go out with Hiroshi, did you?" he asked pointedly. Not that he would be jealous. No. He was definitely **not** jealous.

"Well, no!" she said admittedly, stopping to eye him curiously, and then continuing," But I didn't need you to say anything!" Didn't he know she didn't need him to take care of her all the time?

"Listen. I told you I don't want to fight with you," his tone was so suddenly subdued that Akane hardly knew what to make of it. "I'm sorry for butting in, okay?" He continued to shuffle down the snow-covered sidewalk, leaving her standing outside the shop.

She suddenly cringed with guilt. She hadn't meant to be so harsh with him. It wasn't that she was completely heartless or anything— just unsure of how to react around him. Why did things always have to be so complicated between them?

"Hey Ranma!" She quickened her pace to catch up. "I didn't mean to snap at you . . ." she began regretfully. "I guess I've just gotten used to getting along on my own . . ." That was a true statement.

It had been hard for her the first few months of college. She had always had her sisters or friends or even Ranma to help her along the way. And now that she had that again, she hardly remembered how to act. How do you become independent and then turn around and become dependent again? The self-righteous part of her screamed resentfully that she didn't need anyone else. She was perfectly fine on her own.

But there was an even smaller part of her that knew she had always needed them. And she always would. What did she do all this time without Kasumi to offer her motherly advice and cheer her up with a batch of warm cookies? How did she ever survive without the company of her friends to laugh with her and console her on those rainy days? How did she ever last a day without Ranma to save her from something or another?

_Ranma_.

"I guess I'm just used to telling guys no myself . . ." she trailed off at that. She hoped he would understand. How could it be so difficult to apologize to someone that you'd known for so many years?

"Sounds like you turned a lot of guys down while you were at college," came his smooth but rather amused reply. She looked up to find him smiling at her, the steel blue of his eyes smiling too.

A small grin slipped to her lips. "Well college boys aren't much different from high school boys," she sighed rather flippantly.

He knew exactly what she meant by that. In Akane's mind, high school boys were the hordes of boys that awaited her arrival at school each morning . . . only to be beaten to a bloody pulp shortly after. And what about him? Was he much different? Ranma glanced over to see Akane staring at him, eyes widened considerably. His brain froze.

Wait. . . had he just asked that aloud? Her cheeks were tinged with pink, and her gaze quickly sought out the shadows on the snow.

Shit. When had his lips managed to squeeze out that question? His brain definitely would have decided against it if it had been consulted beforehand. Even so there was a part of him that was rather curious about what she'd say.

. . . what if she really thought he was just like the rest of them?

. . . what if she thought he wasn't?

Did it mean he was worse? Or . . . better? Surely he was better in her eyes than a bunch of teenage boys lusting after her every morning of her high school years. And college now as well.

Sometimes he wondered though. He wondered if he was just a very unwanted part of her life that she thought she could never get rid of.

That was part of the reason he left after all.

Who could want half of a man? Even he didn't want himself as only half of a man, so how could she? She shouldn't have to settle for less.

One of the hardest parts about leaving was admitting that he really did care about Akane. That every time he saved her it wasn't just about his duty as a martial artist or so Mr. Tendo wouldn't kill him. It was because he knew he couldn't live another day if there wasn't just some chance that he could win her over. That she might choose him. And now that she was three feet in front of him, he wasn't sure if he'd ever had a chance.

Her words hit the air like a whisper. "You're different from any person I've ever met, Ranma."

He glanced up at her, trying to understand. She was facing him, unwavering but delicate in the pale moonlight. "You fight with me and call me names and make every day of my life crazier than the last," she listed, forehead crinkling in frustration.

"And you leave." Her voice was frigid as she continued, looking him hard in the eyes. "And you don't write. And you don't call. And then one day you're back."

"Just when I think I've learned to live without you . . ." she began gently, unable to meet his eyes now. "You show up again . . . and I don't know what to do with myself."

How long he stood on that frozen pavement he never knew. But by the time he woke up from that daze of a dream, she was already halfway down the snow-dusted street, fading from view.

_Akane_.

* * *

**AN**: A few answers to your questions:

My title selections for chapters have absolutely nothing to do with the actual chapter usually. But there is a method to my madness. The phrases or words are from the song "(There's No Place Like) Home for the Holidays". Need I say more?

**Hermoniezclone:**I thought I should address your review just incase anyone else was wondering as well. I haven't revealed too much about what happened while they were away from each other and that's for a reason. It'll come out sooner or later. As for Ranma and Akane seeming rather prude, I have this to say: just because they're older doesn't mean they've had one-night stands or escapades of that sort. Some people may see this as detracting from their maturity but in my mind it adds more to the romance. The point this draws is that they never fell in love with anyone else while they were away. Maybe there were thoughts or a few relationships in those two years but they never amounted to much. As much as Ranma is portrayed as a ladies' man, he's much too insecure to suddenly become promiscuous. He's totally uncomfortable with romance, especially when it comes to Akane. That doesn't just change because he's two years older.

Sorry everyone for the long delay.

comments and criticism are welcome

-SP


	5. No Matter How Far

**Home for the Holidays **

**Chapter:** 5

**Title:** No Matter How Far

**Disclaimer:**There is absolutely zero chance that I could ever own Ranma ½ or any of the characters seeing as Rumiko Takahashi already owns them. Don't sue.

* * *

Uppercut. Roundhouse.

Inhale.

Jab. Left. Duck.

Exhale.

Right. Block. Sweep.

Breathe.

Perfect. Flawless.

Only Ranma could do it that way.

So when did Akane get this good. . .?

He could only watch in awe from the doorframe as she practiced, unaware of her private audience.

She was amazing.

Sure, it had been two years since he'd seen her, but Akane seemed totally transformed as far as her martial arts skill was concerned. Not that she was a horrible martial artist before, but she wasn't the best either. She had been disciplined. Just not disciplined enough. She had been strong. Just not strong enough.

Now she was. Her motions were crisp. Relaxed and flowing yet exact and precise.

He hadn't thought anyone else would be up so early. Maybe Kasumi starting breakfast. . . but Akane? The first rays of sunlight were just beginning to pour in through the dojo windows, draping across the wood flooring, slipping over her skin, melting into the blue of her tank top. Here he had been, thinking he was the first one up, ready for a good morning workout, when Akane had already beaten him to it.

Well. There was no reason to let her monopolize the dojo. He effortlessly slid into a kata beside her. He could tell she had noticed him a few minutes before, but she still seemed a little surprised that he had joined her. Memories of the night before resurfaced in his mind.

_Just when I think I've learned to live without you . . ._

Not that he had forgotten. He had simply pushed everything into the back of his brain until he had time to sort things out. Time that he was hoping to have while he put in a quick morning workout. Apparently his plans were going to be slightly postponed. He took a deep breath of cool morning air.

The art. Wordless expression.

Maybe that's why Ranma liked it so much. He wasn't very good with words usually. Every time he tried to explain himself, he only got himself into more and more trouble. Words were just part of a useless, never-ending cycle, in which he continually got himself in and out of problems. But he was good at this. This was something he could do and do well. It was his gift. His talent. His niche. It was as if martial arts flowed through his veins. It was air. Food. His heart. His soul. His life.

This was something he couldn't screw up.

He finally realized they'd both stopped practicing already. He looked up from his thoughts to see her stretching low across her right ankle, and for a moment, he let his eyes trail up the soft tan of her skin to the silky black strands of her hair. How he had ever stayed away so long he'd never know. Admiring the curve of her shoulder and the bend of her knee, he suddenly felt completely and utterly ridiculous. Wasn't this the girl he teased all through high school? The engagement he had fervently protested against? The life he had walked away from? Sweeping his eyes across the worn wooden panels of the dojo and subsequently the girl inside it, he was overcome by a feeling that he had managed to suppress for so long until now.

Regret.

Regret for leaving the place he had come to love. For leaving the life he had come to love. The girl he had come to love.

All for the sake of what . . .? His own pride? His need for a cure? For closure?

No. In his heart he knew it was none of these. No matter how many times he tried to rationalize and create excuses and reasons for it all, there was only one reason why he had left.

Fear. And fear alone had made him leave the best thing that had ever happened to him. To a person who had always prided himself in being fearless, there was nothing like realizing he'd been running away for the past two years.

Maybe that's why he came back. Perhaps his heart had long before discovered this little epiphany that his mind had never understood until now. Somewhere between all the protesting and arguing, he had fallen in love with this girl. This girl that he fought with and teased and saved from demons and demigods time and time again. This girl that drove him crazy with her toxic cooking and snippety remarks.

This girl that could seize him with a smile.

This girl that had unfortunately just looked up to catch him staring at her.

Shit. How would he get himself out of this one. "You really shouldn't stretch that way. You could hurt yourself." Brilliant recovery! He cheered for himself mentally.

She gave him a skeptical look. "I think I know how to stretch properly, Ranma. It's not like I've never stretched before." She looked a bit miffed that he would call her on something so elementary as stretching.

He smirked. It was so easy to tease her. "Could have fooled me."

The comment was followed by a smack on the back of his head via Akane. Suddenly lacking all inhibition, he grabbed her hand and flipped her over his back and into the air. Somersaulting through the crisp morning air, she twisted just in time to land on her feet. Interesting. Her balance was better.

Seeing Ranma lost in observation, she took the opportunity to commence her own attack, which was perhaps actually a disguised attempt to kick his head clear off his shoulders.

Damn. She was serious. He evaded her attack with ease, avoiding contact and putting some space between them. She'd gotten away **way** too easily in their snowball fight the other day. This time victory was his.

However, he noted what a complete injustice it was that she was wearing those little cotton shorts again. They gave her an obvious advantage. No matter. No tiny black shorts would get the best of him. Nor would the girl wearing them.

The next five minutes became a heated exchange of punches, a barrage of attacks and blocks. She could hardly believe he was actually taking her seriously for once. Ranma Saotome was sparring with her. Well, okay. It was more like a petty skirmish. But regardless of how much he pulled his punches, he was fighting her. And the best part was she wasn't doing half bad.

Suddenly the past two years of sweat and work and early-morning practicing were all worth it. Akane Tendo had Ranma Saotome backed into the far left corner of the dojo.

Checkmate.

Oops. He seemed to have gotten a _little_ sloppy. Perhaps even underestimated her a bit . . . Well, how was he supposed to know her full capabilities? After all, he hadn't seen her in two years. This was a warm-up round. Nevertheless, he now found his back pressed against the cool wooden panels of the dojo walls. This was not looking good. Then he saw her swing at him from the right. She was fast. But of course, he was faster. He caught her forearm effortlessly . . . and ironically missed the sweeping kick from the left. Struggling for his balance but eventually losing this particular battle, he had nowhere to go but down. Unfortunately for Akane, if Ranma went down so did she.

Ever so gracefully tumbling on top of him, Akane felt the blood rush to her face. Ranma, however, not only managed to smack his head on the wall, but he also attempted to catch Akane half way through the fall, putting them both in just as compromising of a position as that of the previous night. Her arms had somehow ended up draped over his shoulders while her right knee was jammed up right next to his rib cage and her other leg was wedged underneath his. Smacking his head on the wall had resulted in a sharp intake of breath, making him slightly lightheaded and dizzy. Then again, maybe that was due to the extreme closeness of the girl in his lap. Akane struggled to pull her head up from his chest to look at him.

"You alright . . .?" She questioned, a hint of concern and apprehension in her voice. There was a softness in her brown eyes that disarmed him.

He reached his hand up to the newly formed bump on his head, squeezing his eyes shut. "Yeah. I'm alright. Just stings a little." He gave her a lopsided smile for reassurance. Inside his brain was screaming. It was so hard to think clearly with sixty percent of Akane's body pressed against him. Why hadn't she moved yet? Better question still. . . why hadn't _he_ moved yet? He waited a moment.

They had fallen. Luckily, not out of a tree this time. But there was more that made this fall different. No flashlight-wielding police officers? No camera-wielding Nabikis? No overly hopeful parents? No insanely infatuated girls. . .?

Not even one.

Lady Luck was definitely on his side today. And there was no way he was going to waste this perfectly uninterrupted moment.

* * *

To move or not to move. That was the question Akane was running over and over again in her mind.

There were a million moments in her life like this one. The kind of ridiculous and awkward moments that a life filled with chaos frequently created. Ones in which there was always the perfect opportunity for something more. The perfect opportunity to finally know for sure . . . if there was anything worth waiting for. If there was any chance for them.

If he could ever love her.

Unfortunately, these moments were the ones in which a random fiancé would burst in or a bucket of cold water suddenly drenched Ranma, turning him into instant female. Ones in which Ranma would say something stupid causing his sudden departure via Akane's mallet. Ones which always ended with the click and flash of Nabiki's camera or the fan waving and cheering of their fathers. Ones that always left her . . . disappointed.

This time she wouldn't wait to be disappointed. She wouldn't wait for this moment to be ruined like all the other moments in her life.

She'd ruin it herself.

Retracting her arms from his shoulders, she began to get up. Until a pair of strong arms stopped her, and soft lips silenced her confusion. Wrapped up in the warmth of his embrace, any protest she would've had melted away as his lips met hers.

Whatever she had imagined kissing Ranma Saotome to be like was immediately forgotten. To anyone else in the world it was nothing but a simple kiss, but to a heart that had been beaten and bruised throughout the years like hers, it was everything all at once.

It was an apology. For arguing with her. For calling her names. For leaving.

It was a plea. Not only for forgiveness but for some sign of hope. For some kind of assurance.

But above all else, it was a promise. To be there when she needed him. To wipe away her tears. To hold her close. To be strong even when she couldn't.

To stay.

She was vaguely aware of anything but the soft tips of his fingers, threading through her hair, and the warmth of his kisses, trailing down her chin and across her neck to her shoulders.

"Akane! Ranma! Breakfast is ready!"

Well, okay. Almost anything.

Needless to say, the couple quickly returned to reality at the sound of Kasumi's cheerful breakfast call. Akane hastily scrambled to sit up, but Ranma had flown into sitting position much faster than she did, subsequently knocking her into his lap once again.

This might have been the only singular moment in Akane's life, in which she remembered being significantly irritated by the sweet, melodious voice of Kasumi.

She didn't really want to get up, but she had this striking notion that if they didn't get up within the next thirty seconds they'd have some serious explaining to do to the next person that walked through the dojo doors.

For a split second, steel blue met caramel, and blue fell prey to surprise and caramel to embarrassment.

Taking this as her cue to flee to breakfast, Akane untangled herself and stood, dusting off her workout clothes and remaining quite flushed from the whole incident.

She turned to leave, but a calloused hand tugged at her wrist. Gathering her composure, she looked up to meet his eyes.

"So . . . we'll call it a draw then?"

Smiling sweetly, she squeezed his hand gently.

"I kicked your ass."

And with that, she was off to breakfast, leaving a somewhat bewildered Ranma standing in the middle of the dojo.

* * *

AN: kabam. I actually didn't expect this to come so soon. I figured it would be delayed another chapter or so. But that's how kisses are sometimes. A bit unexpected. But well overdue I figure considering their history.

I dedicate this chapter to my darling friend, Alicia. It was her birthday this week.

3

Comments and criticism as always. (did I ever mention how much I simply adore comments? They make my day.)

-SP


	6. Home, Sweet Home

**Home for the Holidays**

**Chapter**: 6

**Title**: Home Sweet Home

**Disclaimer**: There is absolutely zero chance that I could ever own Ranma ½ or any of the characters seeing as Rumiko Takahashi already owns them. Don't sue. I have no money.

* * *

It wasn't until after breakfast, of course, that the snow chose to fall in such great amounts so as to make all the roads in Nerima impossible to travel on. You hardly would have known it was a week until Christmas at the Tendo Dojo at all if it weren't for the festive sprinkle of a few lights across the lawn and the faint sound of Christmas tunes drifting from the radio in the kitchen.

It was that time of year again. A joyous yet dangerous occasion...

It was time to make Christmas cookies.

It was joyous for obvious reasons: family tradition, childhood memories, the delicious smell of Kasumi's infamous sugar cookies wafting through the air...

And dangerous for perhaps even more obvious reasons: Akane.

Needless to say, Ranma had been put in charge of distracting Akane while the rest of the family devised a plan to disguise the rattling of pots and pans coming from the kitchen. After all, they couldn't risk Akane bursting in and attempting to assist Kasumi, successfully ruining all their Christmas cookies (she may have gotten better but she wasn't that much better). Ranma couldn't help but think about the range of awkward situations this "distracting" job could produce, considering the fact that neither one had mentioned what had occurred so recently in the dojo. . .

His fingers slipped over the cool brass of the doorknob and ran along the grain in the aged wood. There was no way to put this off forever. What was he running away from anyway? He was Ranma Saotome! Not some coward who couldn't face some girl . . .

Okay. So Akane wasn't just some girl. Maybe that's what made this so difficult. He didn't want to screw this one up once and for all.

He thought he had before. . .

Well. He wasn't sure how many second chances were offered in life, but he sure as hell wasn't planning on finding out. He drew his hand to the doorframe, lightly resting his forehead against the smoothed surface. Squeezing his eyes shut, he took a deep breath, preparing himself to face the girl on the other side of the door.

"Ranma... what exactly are you doing to my door..."

Or the girl that was standing right behind him.

"...Uhh... wanted... I wanted to know... to know if you wanted to..." Think quick, Saotome. "...play cards." Another brilliant save by the amazing Ranma.

Her look was questionable, definitely uncertain, and pretty much a mask of complete bewilderment. Deviously, he added. "Unless of course you're afraid I'm going to kick your ass..." He flashed her a famous Saotome smile, dripping with conceit, a purely ostentatious show of pride.

A bit curious anyway but mostly completely perturbed at his usual cocky behavior. . . and perhaps even his slight reference to the dojo escapade, Akane drew up the sleeves of her sweatshirt. Well she couldn't just let him get away with those kind of smug remarks. This was WAR.

Actually. It was poker. Texas hold'em to be exact. Ranma had graciously allowed her to pick the game, which was actually not out of courtesy but largely just because he hadn't planned on playing cards at all. Nevertheless, it was _on_.

There was something about the game of poker that brought to mind a few things about Ranma and herself.

First of all, they both had extremely competitive natures. The kind that made each of them shout "2 out of 3!" only to be subsequently followed by "3 out of 5!" and so on.

Secondly, this competitive nature also led to several emotional outbursts. There were many a pounding of fists and stomping of feet, shouting matches, and even some intense stare-downs.

Thirdly, unbeknownst to them, their fathers always seemed to get riled up when they spent even five minutes alone together. As if there was some kind of a heart-to-heart "bonding" time going on or something . . .

The two now lay on the floor of Akane's room, scrambled amongst bags of cheetos and cans of soda, engaged in a heated battle, presumably to determine the fate of the world. Or rather, to determine the winner of the bet that had been thrown into the whole mix somehow.

The winner would be rewarded with the following devastating and pride-injuring sentence: to be the other challenger's slave for a week. As a college student, Akane had quickly learned to miss having Kasumi around the house. Kasumi had always washed the dishes, cooked the meals, finished the chores, done the shopping. . . Pretty much everything come to think of it... thus the idea of having a slave sounded quite rewarding even if it was only for a week... a week that unfortunately would lead right up to Christmas day. Talk about putting a damper on the loser's remaining Christmas holiday.

Fortunately, Akane had managed to snatch the upper hand away from Ranma with her previous victory, leaving them both tied with 23 out of 46 games each. Due to their seemingly endless succession of games, they had finally agreed to call it quits at game #47 (a compromise that they had not _argued_ over.. but simply... "discussed in a heated manner" for at least thirteen consecutive minutes.) After all, even the fittest martial artists in the world can barely handle three hours and twenty-six minutes of intense poker playing.

And so they found themselves at a draw with the tie breaker lying, literally, at their fingertips.

Akane knitted her brows in concentration as she focused on the slick cards between her fingers. How had she gotten herself into this dumb bet anyway? This was so dumb... beyond dumb. They couldn't even play a game of cards without getting completely carried away with themselves! A small smile played its way across her lips. But would she really have it any other way? She'd been away so long... that she'd forgotten how nice it was. _Being with Ranma_.

...and it would be even nicer to have Ranma as a slave when she won this game!

The possibilities were endless. He could taste test her next big kitchen project. Learning to microwave soup from a can. (She still didn't understand why it kept blowing up the microwave...) She could make him spar with her everyday..! Her mind flew to the rather... unexpected scene in the dojo...

..._everyday_...

Her face became the instantaneous cousin of Bob the tomato from _Veggie Tales_. Woah woah woah. She definitely had to slow down there.

She peered over at him. He seemed completely and utterly centered on the two paper rectangles hidden within his hands. For Ranma, this was just another battle to fight. Just another challenge to overcome. Well she'd show _him_.

Drawing her attention back to her cards, she wrinkled her nose. Now how on earth was she going to win with just a pair of twos in her hand? Thank God they were playing Texas Hold'em so she could use cards from the community pile.

Ranma looked up at her with expectancy... and, she noted with worry, a rather smug look on his handsome features. Great. That was just what she needed. Silently she prayed he was just bluffing.

Ranma Saotome was not bluffing. For once he had the perfect hand! Ace. King. Both spades. All he needed were three cards to come out in the community pile that would complete his straight-- and if not that, at least three more spades so that he would have a flush. He doubted she had anything better than that from the disgruntled look that had formed on her face. As the dealer, he flipped the first three cards over in the middle.

The jack and ten of spades accompanied by a seven of diamonds lay thrust on the floor space between them.

Needless to say, Ranma was elated. All he needed was one card to complete his straight or his flush. Heck. He could even pull out a royal flush and then there would be no way Akane could beat him! The hint of victory shone under the flourescent lights of Akane's bedroom. He was _so _close. Only _one _card!

He paused a moment to review the significance of such a victory. First of all it meant he spared himself from whatever kinds of torture Akane was planning to subject him to if she won. There must be something she was just dying to pay him back for after all the teasing and name calling from their high school days.

Another important factor was.. well. He just didn't _lose. _He was Ranma Saotome and yet somehow he'd manage to let Akane _almost _win the last two of their matches. One being the snow ball fight (which he still considered unfinished.. but for the time being.. a draw..) and the other being the.. interesting dojo escapade. Although in a way, he liked to think he'd won that one..

But now. Now there was no more _almost _losing! Victory was surely his.

* * *

Akane could not help but fidget. This was bad. Very bad. The first three cards had not helped her chances at all.. but from the looks of it, they had greatly excited Ranma's attention. She remained... a pair of twos... the lowest and worst pair possible. She would have folded if it wasn't for that one shred of pride she still clung to at this point in the game.

The fourth card came. A nine of clubs. She groaned internally. Of all the games to acquire unexplained bad luck... she felt the chains of slavery clinking at her wrists as she held her pitiful pair.

Ranma cursed silently under his breath. A _nine_? Oh com'on! He was just _too_ close. He hated to have it left down to the last card. Sure he did some pretty risky things sometimes but.. this was different. He was risking more than just his pride. He was risking his _freedom_. For a _whole week._ Subconsciously part of him wondered just which part of being Akane's slave really sounded that bad.

He felt his every muscle in his body tense up. Queenofspadesqueenofspadesqueenofspades. He _had_ to win this.

* * *

Akane Tendo felt sick. Her stomach churned with the thought of suffering complete and total humiliation as Ranma's personal seven-day slave. At this rate she was guaranteed a smashing loss. She eyed her twos like a set of ugly step children. Could this get any worse? A still frame of Ranma and herself plastered to each other on the dojo floor danced around her brain. The thought alone caused her cheeks to flame up. She rustled her arms out of her sweatshirt and lifted it over her head, her skin relishing the relief of the cool air. There was no point in getting profusely sweaty if she was going to lose anyway...

She gritted her teeth, quietly admonishing herself for being so pessimistic. There was still hope... right?

* * *

Ranma, who had been faithfully repeating his wishful mantra, glanced up at Akane, who was currently... removing an article of clothing? Did he miss something? Were they playing strip poker?

The gray cotton of her sweatshirt was slipping over her head, tugging at her ebony locks, strewing them across her creamy complexion. Mesmerized, he surveyed the lavender straps of her shirt and gulped. You'd think at the age of twenty Ranma Saotome would be more comfortable around girls. Sadly, his relationship with Akane was about as close to comfortable as he had ever been around a girl. Even after being apart and well... not exactly on speaking terms for two years. He forced his eyes to fix themselves elsewhere... the slenderness of her fingers against the intricate pattern on the back of the cards, the delicate features of her face absorbed in intense thought...

Well, it was getting to be a bit warm in the room.. Subconsciously, he tugged at the top of his shirt collar, loosening its grasp on his neck in attempt to gain some breathing room.

Focus, Ranma! He stole one more glance at Akane, whose expression was fraught with a mixture of uncertainty and dread. Propping himself up on his heels, his fingers brushed the next and-- at least for this game-- final card from the deck. With one last plea for some kami to have mercy on him and let the queen of spades appear, he flipped the card over.

Ranma was in disbelief. A _two_? Out of all the possible cards in the deck, it was a _two_? And of _hearts_ no less! It couldn't even be a spade! Not only were his chances of a royal flush ruined but the possibility of a straight or flush as well. Now all he could hope was that Akane didn't have anything better than ace high. Fat chance there.

* * *

The moment Ranma's fingers had left the card Akane's eyes had glued themselves to it. Impossible... a _two_? She glanced at the cards lying in her fingers and back to the one on the floor.. then back to her hand again. Suddenly with the flick of one card, her measly pair of twos had been transformed into a radiant three-of-a-kind, spelling only one thing in her mind: VICTORY. Her mind sang with elation, lighting her eyes up.

She grinned wickedly in his direction. Oh this was going to be good.

* * *

Ranma did not like the look on Akane's face. She was almost... _too_ happy. He took this as a bad sign for himself.

He cleared his throat cautiously. "Let's just get this over with already.." He painfully lowered his hand within her view. In response, she casually tossed out a pair of twos, crossing her arms over her chest in a smug manner. "Make that three twos," he noted to himself glumly with a glimpse at the cards already present on the bedroom floor. Great. She had annihilated him once again. Just perfect. He groaned and closed his eyes

_Akane's slave for a week_.

"...You're not actually gonna hold me to that dumb bet, are you?" he asked in desperation, still holding out a tiny bit of hope. I mean... com'on. Akane wasn't that--

"Of course I am!" came her indignant reply. How could he back out of their bet?

"You cheated, didn't you!" Ranma stated in defiance. Had she slipped the card in when he wasn't looking? After all, he had been... slightly distracted... it was plausible.

Now she was a bit outraged by his accusations. She gritted her teeth to censor any unnecessary curses. "I won fair and square and you know it, Ranma!" She leaned forward on her knees, a triumphant smirk. She could do this. Be an adult, Akane.

Ranma narrowed his eyes. "Oh com'on! You know I was distracted!"

"By what?" she shot back hotly, completely oblivious to what exactly he was referring..

Woops. He hadn't realized that had just kinda.. popped out. "Well, you... you know.. you were.. uh. like.. you know." He fumbled for words like a high schooler again, bumbling as a blush crept to his cheeks.

Akane resisted the temptation to roll her eyes. "_No, Ranma. _I'm afraid I _don't_." She leaned in closer, scrutinizing his peculiar air with curiosity.

He paused in mid breath. They were so close now he could feel the tips of her fingers that she clasped to her knees. A wash of lavender and soap mingled in the gap between them. He met her hesitant, watchful eyes with a steady gaze. How could she not realize she was so... intoxicating...

Ha. Intoxicating. What was he thinking? This was AKANE. A little voice in the back of his mind reminded him that it was the same Akane he'd kissed in the dojo not too long ago...

His eyes captured by her wondering expression, he inadvertently drew himself closer, recalling the feel of her smooth skin against his that morning..

He saw her demeanor shift from confusion to a look of hopeful expectation. If he just leaned a little closer...

He could barely breathe.

"Akane . . I-"

"Cookies are ready!"

A rather bemused Nabiki Tendo stood in the doorway, hand still lingering on the brass doorknob while her eyes lingered on this _interesting_ scene. "Well what have we here..."

* * *

**AN**: I APOLOGIZE SO MUCH FOR THIS BEING... 2 YEARS LATE. What can I say. Life got the best of me. But I swear to you it was at least half way finished for a year and a half (my bad my bad). Hopefully people still read this thing...

as always comments and criticism are welcome.

once again... how can I make it up to you all?

-SP

P.S. don't stone me.


	7. In a Million Ways

Home for the Holidays

**Chapter:** 7

**Title:** In a Million Ways

**Disclaimer: **There is absolutely zero chance that I could ever own Ranma ½ or any of the characters seeing as Rumiko Takahashi already owns them. Don't sue.

* * *

Nabiki Tendo surveyed the evidence.

One Akane Tendo, clad merely in some kind of strappy tank top and sweat pants, looking extremely uncomfortable at the moment.

One Ranma Saotome, shirt loosened with the first tie mysteriously undone and a look of guilt plastered on his face.

Both leaning forward, inches from the other's face.

Very _interesting_, indeed. "Well what have we here…" she drawled, a sly grin slowly spreading across her shrewd features.

What else was there to say really… "It's not what it looks like!" came the unified response from two pairs of hesitant lips.

With one last calculating glance, she shrugged nonchalantly and swiftly exited the room, casually shutting the door on her way out. Who was there to sell pictures to anyway? She had long since been out of the photography business. Nabiki Tendo did not waste her time with small fry business transactions. Oh no. She had moved on to bigger and better deals.

But this… _information_ could still be used for her personal enjoyment. Her life had become noticeably duller since all the exceedingly crazed, neurotic, and well.. _unique_ martial artists had left town.

Oh no. She was definitely going to enjoy this.

* * *

Squeezing his eyes shut, he crammed his pillow over his pigtailed head, feeling its softness mold around the curves of his face and press against his cheek bones. What had he been thinking? Had he actually been _considering_ telling her? In his mind, he replayed the last few days of his life.

_…__You're different from an__y person I've ever met, Ranma…_

_…__You show up again . . . and I don__'t know what to do with myself…_

He inhaled deeply, the gentle scent of cotton and linen blanketing his senses.

_…__So .__ . . we'll call it a draw then..?..._

_…__You really should__n't let your guard down, Ranma…_

What was so hard about being honest…?

He was ashamed. Ashamed of how afraid he really felt. It was just like the first day that he'd realized it. The first day he'd really known that his life would never be the same. The first day that he'd come to terms with the fact that he couldn't live without her. That he was only half a man without her.

So he'd run off.

But he'd looked back too soon and realized what he was leaving behind… Her laugh. Her smile. Her.

His heart ached so painfully now.

How could he ever make it up to her? He knew that was what the dojo had been about. Two years of separation had torn away at his insides until he was ready to scream. How could he just waltz back into her life and expect things to be normal? Going to the market for Kasumi, having snowball fights, playing cards, making sandwiches at odd hours of the night.. practicing in the dojo.

The dojo. How had he lost control? He cursed himself for slipping up so easily. But that was it really. It was just so easy to _want_ to be with her again. To slip onto the counter in the kitchen and rattle away about his training trip. To carry grocery sacks and issue meaningless complaints. To forget the world around him as he crunched through the snow with her. To get lost in her eyes and the warmth of her smile. To love her so completely and thoroughly that life without her was really no life at all.

So easy…

And yet… somehow he doubted being her slave for a week would be half as easy.

With a last mental curse to his pride and sour luck, he allowed his mind to succumb to rhythmic sound of sleep.

* * *

_ Ranma…_

Lush green grass brushed the tips of his fingers, his legs sprawled out in front of him. The picnic blanket on which he sat was a quilt covered in delicate colors and patterns, blending together in the afternoon sunshine.

"Hand me the lemonade, will you?" A familiar feminine voice called to him breezily.

"Just a minute.." Across plates of sandwiches and fruit salad, he heard his own voice echoing in reply, almost as if it was separated from his body.

His eyes caught a glimpse of a young boy on the swing set, laughing and waving in his direction, black hair flying as he soared through the air to the rhythm of the squeaking chain-link swing.

_Ranma_.

He closed his eyes, feeling the sunlight pour over his face.

"Ranma." The voice was impatient now.

He felt the light intensify. "Okay… I'm getting the lemonade.." He opened his eyes, squinting into the brightness.

He was staring into the face of Akane Tendo.

"Ranma… _what_ are you **talking** about?"

The fog of sleep suddenly slipped away. "Uh…" He gulped down his bewilderment, facing the softly silhouetted feminine figure before him. "…just a weird dream."

Pausing to raise an eyebrow in reaction to his hesitancy, she seemed to brush it off for more pressing matters. "Well.. Kasumi left breakfast on the table. She went into town for some Christmas shopping." She smiled sweetly.

Sweetly? There was something wrong with this picture. His mind was suddenly sent into a panic.

He was her slave.

From the corner of his eye he saw her pause in the doorway. "Oh and Ranma…"

His mind flashed to eighty-three different horrific things she could make him do in the next thirty seconds. He gulped.

"… the bathroom's open if you need it." His heart rate dropped back down to sixty-five. He thought he saw her smother a wicked grin as she strolled down the hall.

This was going to be a long week.

* * *

Plopping down at the breakfast table, the scent and taste of Kasumi's cooking engulfed his senses. There was nothing in the world that could distract him from a meal so delicious, so tantalizing, so-

"Ranma, could you pass the salt.."

so alluring, so appetizing—

"RANMA." He turned to respond, but his reply vanished before it even left his lips. "_Pass_ the salt," she gritted as azure slits narrowing in his direction.

He sighed mentally. The servitude begins. Snatching the salt from its place on the table, he handed it to her.

"Why _thank you_, Ranma." He could just see that smug smile on her face without even looking. Her voice was drenched with satisfaction.

His whole week continued this way. When he was about to take a hot shower it was "Oh Ranma, I need to use the bathroom." When he was on his way out of the kitchen it was "Oh Ranma, could you get me a glass of water?" When he was getting up from the table it was "Oh Ranma, would you take my dishes to the sink?"

He could hardly believe this was how she was using their bet. She'd had six days already! Where were the terrible orders to eat her cooking? Then again these ridiculously tedious, little chores could almost be worse in a way. She was just continuously rubbing it in—pouring more salt into that open wound that his pride had recently become.

He shuffled to the kitchen, sweatpants swishing against the chilled wooden floors. His eyes drifted to the snowy windowsill, where glittering icicles had already begun to form. And here he was in his very last hours of slavery, counting down the minutes to freedom. Lazily tracing a finger across the counter, he stopped to examine the dark grain. Had it really only been a few days ago that she had sat on this counter with him for the first time in two years? It was amazing how even the smallest of details had become so vivid to him. They burned into his senses now, searing his mind with memories of his teenage years. Everything seemed fresher the second time around, more intense than these old memories lingering in the back of his consciousness.

"Hey Ranma…" He stiffened. The sound of her voice drifted across the hall from the living room, its playful undertones tugging a furtive smile to his lips. He quickly wiped the silly smile off his face and briefly wondered if she had finally thought of cruel command with which to end his term of servitude. He watched as a cascade of black hair and amber eyes peeked around the corner.

".. would you watch this movie with me… it's about to come on, but everyone else is asleep already.." The pout in her voice was unavoidable. How could he refuse her? But he was her slave for the next two and a half hours anyway so he really had no choice in the matter. Plus he did enjoy movies… most of the time.

"What's it about..?" He pursed his lips, pretending to be mulling it over as he perused the kitchen cabinets for food.

"Well they're having this Christmas movie marathon…" He groaned internally, snagging a bag of microwave popcorn from the pantry. A hokey Christmas movie. Just what he needed. Placing the bag of kernels in the microwave, he glanced towards the doorway where Akane was standing, draped in the warmth of an afghan Kasumi had made a few winters ago. From under the carefully woven strands of scarlet and green, a slip of creamy skin caught his eye. Maybe the movie was a good idea after all…

He turned back to the microwave. No! Bad idea! Bad idea to watch a movie late at night while everyone else is asleep, and you and Akane are virtually alone! His mind flashed to the dojo. That was the end of all train of thought.

"Yeah.. I'll watch it with you." Was he not a mature adult twenty years of age?

* * *

Ranma focused his eyes on the snowy scene in front of him where a little boy in a poofy jacket was pressed up against the glass of a store window filled with toys, his colorful scarf blowing in the winter wind...

Or at least he imagined it to be colorful. Why did everything have to be in black and white? He was bored out of his mind with this movie. After briefly examining his empty bowl of popcorn, he turned his eyes to Akane, who was curled up at his feet, knees pressed close to her chest, eyes intently glued to the screen. At least one of them was enjoying this. "Why are we watching this again?" he mused, absentmindedly shifting closer to her.

"Because I wanted to," she answered simply without even taking her eyes off the little boy on the screen, who now had some hyper active puppy in his arms for a Christmas present. She paused to tilt her head back over her shoulder, a flicker of thoughtfulness touching her features. Wordlessly, she turned back to the movie, a small smile playing on her lips.

He turned his eyes back to the television now, covertly watching her through his peripheral vision. He smiled to himself too. She was right. He almost laughed aloud. She was watching this dumb movie because she wanted to… and he was watching it too. Because she wanted to.

And he wouldn't have it any other way.

After all the adventures and fights and crazy mishaps in his life, all he really wanted was to have that small shred of consistency in his life. Whether it was grocery shopping, snowball fights, watching television, or maybe even celebrating a little boy's birthday, he just wanted _one_ constant in the whole equation of his life.

And it was her. She was the one thing in his life that would never change. That he didn't want to change.

She was there through spells and magical objects and potions. Through ice skating matches and random kidnappings. Despite Amazons and kendoists and spatula-wielding chefs.

And that's where he wanted her to be: beside him always, fighting and laughing and sharing with him this crazy experience called life.

And when she had left, he had felt a part of him leave with her, and he'd realized in that one moment that he had built his life around her. Around protecting her and saving her. Around arguing with her and then apologizing to her. As if slowly after all that time together, she had been woven into the fabric of his life; just as natural as breathing and fighting was for him, so was Akane. She was always there. A part of him.

So when she had left so had he. He had run. He had run as far away as he could from the feelings that had already started flooding him as soon as she unfolded her acceptance letter. He hadn't waited to watch her board the plane or fly away into the fading blue of the skyline. Oh no— he'd left way before that so she wouldn't have to read the regret in his stormy eyes as she walked down the boarding platform and out of his life. He couldn't keep preventing her from doing the things she wanted to do. From living the life she wanted to live. From being the person she wanted to be.

He wanted her to be happy.

And if that meant watching lame Christmas specials on TV… then so be it.

"Ranma… why are you staring at me like that?" Somewhere in between his thoughtful reverie and epiphany, his covert watching had become full on staring.

"To watch that silly expression on your face." He felt the reply leave his lips, his mind still stuck in its dreamy state even under the intensity of amber Akane was directing his way. He thought he saw a tinge of pink creep to her cheeks. Probably just shadows from the TV.

She cleared her throat, attempting to gather composure and trying to focus her attention back on the flickering picture in front of her. "I don't have a silly expression on my face…"

It was in vain.

All she could think about was the boyish grin he'd had on his face and the rays of coziness that seemed to be radiating from the close proximity of his presence. So close that if she just leaned back an inch more..

She tried to resist the temptation to snuggle into the firm torso behind her.

* * *

He felt himself start to doze off, the shapes and colors of a holiday commercial blurring into the background. And then he felt the warmth of her fingers on his forearms, pulling him close and wrapping his arms around her.

He could have opened his eyes.

He could have said something.

He could have.

But he didn't.

Instead he laid there with her small frame enveloped in his, listening to the constant beat of his heart and the steady rise and fall of her breathing.

And that was enough. That was all he needed.

Consistency.

* * *

AN: So this has been sitting on my computer for a while. And well… I know maybe some of you were expecting _action_... I mean this was the slave chapter, right? But I'll try and explain Akane's actions in the end. This chapter is important in its own way. At some point in every relationship there has to be realization. A turning point. Ranma and Akane have been working towards one. The dojo wasn't quite it although it sparked something. There's a lot of hurt and damage in their relationship because of the past… but this is about redefining whatever has become undefined for them. About redefining their definitions of love.

So comments and criticism are welcome as always (because someone has to tell me when I'm losing my mojo!)

Merry Christmas to you and yours.

-SP


End file.
